Inspectors will be making impromptu visits to building sites

The initiative is part of a Europe-wide inspection campaign which will see officials making unannounced visits.

Seven people died and more than 600 were seriously hurt on building sites across the region in 2002/03 as a result of accidents.

The Fatal Risks Campaign aims to stamp out and highlight those accidents.

County (deaths - serious injuries) Berkshire (1 - 44) Buckinghamshire (1 - 43) East Sussex (0 - 44) Hampshire (1 - 128) Isle of Wight (0 - 7) Kent (3 - 142) Oxfordshire (0 - 60) Surrey (0 - 82) West Sussex (1 - 57)

The blitz will be focusing on the three major causes of fatal and serious injuries in construction - falls from height, transport on sites and lifting heavy loads.

Inspectors will be looking to see that proper assessments of risks have been carried out and that hierarchy controls are in place.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said enforcement action, including prohibiting work, was likely to be taken on sites where effective precautions were not in place.

Inspectors will also follow up all cases where formal enforcement action is taken on site, or where significant failings are identified.

The HSE's chief inspector for construction, Kevin Myers, said although the construction industry had taken steps to control the risks from accidents, the number of injuries was not declining at the rate expected.